The problem of 170 adults and 108 children potentially being back on the street this week is the biggest human issue of the Budgetel Hotel closing last month.
That the city of Chattanooga and social service agencies have stepped up to help, where others haven’t, is commendable and what neighbors do to help neighbors.
Why exactly the hotel was shuttered, who was there and who shouldn’t have been there, and the filthy conditions that officials found will continue to be debated as to whether all of it warranted what happened.
But hotel ownership (JDH Developers) and the city of East Ridge haven’t stepped up to accept the responsibility that is rightfully theirs.
We refer specifically to the promises made when the former Superior Creek Lodge reopened in 2018 after it had been purchased by the Atlanta-based developer, who spent $2 million to renovate it before it opened again to guests.